Blogging about Muslims in Canada and Canadian things. Writing poetry and things Guyanese.
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Tuesday, 7 September 2021
Why Giving To The One Love Table Is A Unique Choice?
Why Giving To The One Love Table Is A Unique Choice?
Written by Habeeb Alli and Edited by Juliane Martin
Because feeding people is always rewarding in all religious denominations.
Well that was the easy one liner.
But there are so many causes and people operating food banks are numerous especially during Covid.
Well to think of it being part of a family of people of all backgrounds that are informed by faith and love
and dignity is itself very ambitious given the times we live in.
Whenever we find such a community based upon these eternal values of the Golden Rule we must be
able to jump at it with our hearts, dollars and time!
When we started out One Love Gala it was because the then government of the day did not want the
continuation of Chaplaincy services for inmates locked up in federal prisons across Canada. They were
about to sever the important work diversity chaplains perform inside and outside prisons.
I was inspired by Bob Marley’s’ song One Love, One Heart to start advocating for this service by
highlighting the work Chaplains do to reintegrate inmates successfully into society..
Food insecurity is a rising concern in Canada during the Pandemic and around the world. No one is safe.
There is only One God and His Religion Is to take care of humanity.
I have been working with many Muslim organisations and participating in many Interfaith initiatives and
saw during my time at providing food hampers in Toronto to families affected during the Pandemic that
all walks of life were involved. The Hindu Pundit giving donations, the Rabbi picking up food at the drive
by, the Pastor delivering food hampers to the elderly and the Imam opening the mosque doors for
persons of all backgrounds to receive the Mercy of God through human servants.
Now that I have had the opportunity to do the food hampers differently, again the One Love song has
inspired me to have the fabric of Interfaith and Multiculturalism sew itself into this beautiful dress with
our amazing Christian Chaplain Julianne Martin as Director and the humanitarian Muslim leader Sadro
Usman leading the operations whilst the Hindu community activist Rajmini Ram renders her continued
support and the Jewish voice for the voiceless Orev Katz prods us on- the family of One Love is woven
from the threads of far and wide of volunteers, clients and donors of varied ethnicity, race, religion,
sexual orientation, nationality and languages because the human dignity of one is the dignity of all. We
are all the Children of Adam!
As in the case of Father Abraham he was the patriarch to all, he loved all and opened his dinner table for
all and as such when you give to the One Love Table you give to all- without judgment or need to prove
you are worthy- you are doing the work of the Prophets when you let people enter your space freely as
Rumi said: Come As You Are!
Thank you!
Megwich!
Merci
Thursday, 6 May 2021
Lailatul Qadr and Mothers’ Day - Twin Sisters of Mercy
Lailatul Qadr and Mothers’ Day - Twin Sisters
of Mercy
May 4th
2021
by: Habeeb
Alli
It's been
a whirlwind of events during this Pandemic.
It's
Ramadan and Muslims are going crazy about the search for the Night that equals
a thousand months of worship. And rightly so, it's also that time of the year
when we buy flowers and send gifts to our mothers. Mother's Day – both days
falling on May 8th and 9th, respectively.
I wonder
if there is a connection between the Night of Power and Mothers' Day?
For this,
I thought there is a silver lining like the vaccine during the Pandemic.
For the
reader of this, the Night of Power in the Surah "Qadr" Quran Chapter
97 Verses 1-5 is the moment that God decrees one's life for the rest of the
year and it is believed to be on the 27th night of Ramadan. However,
it can be any time in the year or any one of the 10 last nights of Ramadan. When
people, who were eager to get rich in the game of spirituality, complained to
the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, (On Whom Be Peace) that their years are
shortened compared to those who lived for centuries before, in response, the
Chapter Qadr was revealed. It is an auspicious night of prayers called the
Night of Determination, or the Night of Power which is equivalent to one
thousand months (which is equivalent to 80 years) of blessings.
It seems
to me that the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, may (God be pleased with her), actually
questioned her husband, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, what
should be her prayers if she finds out it is indeed the Night! Our Prophet, opined
that appealing for God's kindness and forgiveness was most crucial. "Oh
God, You Are Forgiving and Kind, You Love to Forgive, so kindly forgive me!"
is the refrain that is uttered all around the globe on this special night.
Now if
that wasn't an appeal to the motherly instincts of compassion, forgiveness and love,
then what is? God chose the Mother of the Believers, the young and passionate
Lady Aisha, may God be pleased with her, to reveal this priceless gem of worship,
embraced by billions throughout the centuries.
When we
celebrate and honor our mothers every day and with a grand remembrance on Mothers'
Day, we are instinctively responding to their kindness, generosity and
unconditional love for their children. This is their right upon us, so
beautifully articulated by the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, that Paradise
lies "at the feet of Thy mother!"
So, this
weekend, when you are praying for forgiveness on Lailatul Qadr and buying flowers
for your beautiful Mom, or saying a prayer for her, alive or deceased, remember
that mercy is the common denominator here. God's mercy demonstrated in a mother's
love - something further demonstrated by your continued support of the Table of Mercy Foodbank this
Ramadan which has served hundreds of mothers and families and prayed with them during
this Pandemic. The Twin Sisters of Mercy seems to descend on us this weekend. Let's
take the opportunity to be part of the mercy this year!